Croft Pit explosion, 1847

About five o'clock on Friday 28 May 1847 gas fired at the far end of the Main Band in Croft Pit, Whitehaven, nearly two miles from the shaft, killing the four coal-haggers who had just gone in for the night shift with their lamps uncovered.

Cause

A sudden discharge of inflammable gas fired at lamps whose covers had been removed.

Contributing factors

The pit was thought free of gas and regularly worked with naked lamps; a standing order to keep lamp tops on was broken.

What happened

The day shift left about mid-afternoon with the mine free of foul air and well ventilated. About five o'clock twelve night-shift men were lowered: some went to the Bannock Band, and Hugh Burns, 36, William McMullen, 33, John Kelly, 19, and Michael Reece, 19, all coal-haggers, to their places at the end of the Main Band, nearly two miles from the shaft. Men in the Bannock Band heard a rumbling like distant thunder; going towards the Main Band they found the ventilation disturbed and were stopped by the afterdamp.

The air was restored, and on the Saturday afternoon the four were found close together, all dead: Burns and McMullen badly burnt, Kelly and Reece only slightly, killed by the afterdamp. They were carried home to the New Houses. The head overman and other witnesses said the pit had been free of danger for years and was regularly worked with naked lamps. It was concluded that a sudden discharge of gas had come off in the hour and a half between the shifts, and that the men, confident of the mine's safety, had gone in with the tops off their lamps against a standing order.

Rescue & recovery

Ventilation was restored through the night and the bodies were reached on the Saturday afternoon; the agent, Mr Peile, went below to direct the work.

Legal & regulatory aftermath

The inquest before William Lumb, coroner, at the public office in Lowther Street found the cause clear; the jury declined to hear more witnesses.

Recorded claims

Individual factual claims, each attached to the source(s) that support it below. Where sources disagree, both are kept.

• On the evening of Friday 28 May 1847 an explosion at the far end of the Main Band in Croft Pit killed four coal-haggers. ^1,2,3
• A sudden discharge of gas fired at the men's lamps, which they had uncovered in breach of a standing order. ^3,4
• The pit was thought so free of gas that it was regularly worked with naked lamps. ^3,4
• The coroner, William Lumb, held the inquest at the public office in Lowther Street; the jury were satisfied and called no more witnesses. ^3,4

Related terminology

Mining terms this disaster is structurally linked to, with the nature of the relationship.

• Afterdamp (contextual relationship)
  Named twice in this record, first in the narrative: “…Band they found the ventilation disturbed and were stopped by the afterdamp. The air was restored, and on the Saturday afternoon the four were…”
• Overman (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s narrative: “…by the afterdamp. They were carried home to the New Houses. The head overman and other witnesses said the pit had been free of danger for years…”
• Shaft (contextual relationship)
  Named twice in this record, first in the summary: “…of the Main Band in Croft Pit, Whitehaven, nearly two miles from the shaft, killing the four coal-haggers who had just gone in for the night…”

Photographs & further reading

This page doesn't try to reproduce everything — these are the best original sources found for this disaster.

Sources

1. (primary) Whitehaven Coast Archaeological Survey, including Appendix 3: Duke Pit fanhouse (Simon Chapman) — Cranstone Consultants and Ironbridge Archaeology, for the National Trust
2. (primary) Durham Mining Museum - Whitehaven Colliery — Durham Mining Museum
3. (primary) News, 1st June 1847 — Durham Mining Museum
4. (primary) Fatal Accidents In Lord Lonsdale's Coal Pits, 12th June 1847 — Durham Mining Museum

Record created: 3 October 2026 · Last researched: 4 October 2026